P
Mexican
Asado de boda (Zacatecas/SLP wedding pork in dried chile sauce)
Asado de boda (wedding roast) is the festive pork dish of Zacatecas and San Luis Potosí — pork pieces braised in a dried chile sauce made from ancho, mulato, and guajillo, enriched with lard and spiced with cumin, cinnamon, and cloves. It is the canonical wedding and festival food of the region — rich, deeply spiced, and made in enormous quantities. Unlike mole negro, there is no chocolate and no charring — the sauce is built on dried chiles, spices, and acidity from tomato or vinegar.
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I
The Market List
The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.
3 kg
pork shoulder
bone-out, cut into large pieces, fat cap retained
Your own market
For the dried chile sauce
150 g
ancho chiles
stems and seeds removed
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
100 g
mulato chiles
stems and seeds removed
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
100 g
guajillo chiles
stems and seeds removed
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
2 tsp
ground cumin
Your own market
1 tsp
ground cinnamon
Mexican canela preferred
Your own market
½ tsp
ground cloves
Your own market
4
ripe tomatoes
roughly chopped; or substitute a splash of vinegar for acidity
Origin · ItalyBosa Foods · Vancouver →
80 g
lard
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.
II
The Method
1
In a dry comal or heavy skillet over medium heat, toast the ancho, mulato, and guajillo chiles in batches, pressing each briefly with a spatula until fragrant and the skin blisters lightly. Transfer immediately to a bowl of hot water and soak for 20–30 minutes. The chiles are ready when the flesh is fully pliable and the soaking water is dark.
2
Drain the soaked chiles. Transfer to a blender with the cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and tomatoes (or a measured splash of vinegar). Blend to a completely smooth paste, adding a little soaking water as needed. Pass through a medium-mesh strainer, pressing with the back of a spoon; discard solids. The strained paste should be fluid, uniform, and deep brick-red.
3
This is where the dish lives or dies. In a wide, heavy pot melt the lard over high heat until it shimmers. Add the strained chile paste all at once — it will hiss violently. Stir constantly and fry the paste in the hot lard for 8–12 minutes, until it darkens by one clear shade, pulls away from the sides of the pot, and the raw, sharp smell gives way to something deeper, toasted, and complex. Skipping or shortening this step produces a flat, raw-tasting sauce.
4
Add the pork shoulder pieces directly to the pot and turn to coat in the fried chile paste. Add enough of the reserved soaking water (or plain water) to partially submerge the meat. Bring to a simmer, cover, and braise over low heat, stirring occasionally. The braise is done when the pork yields completely to a fork and the sauce has reduced to a glossy, clingy consistency that coats the back of a spoon.
5
Taste the sauce. Adjust salt. If the richness dominates, add a small amount of vinegar or orange juice to restore balance. The finished sauce should be bold and aromatic — cumin and cloves clearly present — with the brick-red colour confirming the correct chile balance: too brown suggests insufficient ancho; too orange, insufficient mulato.
III
Quality Hierarchy
01
Reserve — Whole dried chiles sourced from their regions of cultivation — Puebla anchos, Oaxacan mulatos — toasted to order; lard rendered from a known animal; heritage-breed pork shoulder with generous fat cover.
02
Estate — High-quality whole dried chiles from a reputable Mexican grocer; good commercial lard (not hydrogenated); free-range pork shoulder with natural fat cap.
03
Market — Supermarket dried chiles in sealed packets; standard lard; pork shoulder from a reliable butcher — adequate for the dish if the technique is sound.
04
House — Pre-ground chile powder blends and vegetable oil in place of lard are the minimum workable substitutes; the sauce will lack depth and the characteristic toasted richness of the fried paste.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Sight. The strained chile paste is deep brick-red and fluid; after frying in lard it darkens by one clear shade and pulls from the pot sides.
◇Smell. The fried paste smells toasted and complex — the sharp, raw chile note is gone.
◇Sight. The finished sauce is glossy and clingy, coating the back of a spoon; the pork pieces are deeply coloured on all surfaces.
◇Touch. The braised pork shoulder yields completely to fork pressure without resistance.
◇Where it lives or dies. The chile paste must be fried in hot lard until it darkens and loses its raw edge — without this step the sauce is flat and the dish is lost.
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VI
What to Pour
The pairing
Agave spirit
From British Columbia
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Without alcohol
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The whole pairingPillar VII
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
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